A List of Feel-Good Companies that Give Back With Every Purchase

…And just like that, summer is wrapping up. The warm days spent at the pool will soon turn into crisp, autumn nights spent by the bonfire. Teachers have welcomed excited and maybe nervous kiddos back to school. Before we know it, we’ll be waking up to a sparkling cover of white snow on the ground. 

Saying goodbye to summer means welcoming the upcoming holiday months, and if you’re like me, you love the gift giving part of the holiday season. I absolutely love thinking about and shopping for gifts for others. Yes yes I know… the holidays are not about gifts. Of course not! The holidays are about family, friends, love, traditions, and all the joy the season brings… but still, it’s just too fun to shop for loved ones.

If you’re starting to feel the excitement of the upcoming holiday season and you’re wanting gift ideas from places that also do some good… you’ve come to the right place! 

Below is a list of socially responsible, ethical, and environmentally conscious companies that give back with every purchase. You’ll buy from them knowing you’re supporting smaller businesses, getting awesome things that your family and friends will love, and also spreading a little more joy by giving back to those in need, which is a great feeling during the holidays and any time of the year. 

Check out these amazing companies below to shop for loved ones or just to treat yourself! (You won’t feel that buyer’s remorse by shopping from companies that give back to their community!) 

The Shop Forward

The Shop Forward is one of my personal favorites. If you’ve ever listened to the Bobby Bones radio show and podcast, you’ve probably heard of it. The Shop Forward’s website features a huge variety of products that donate to different causes and organizations. From customizable tote bags, t shirts, and crew necks, to accessories like hats, gratitude journals, affirmation notecards, and customizable zipper pouches… they have the coolest products. I love their platform because they are all about spreading hope and joy… “#pimpinjoy” is a movement that started with founder Amy’s mom, Judy, who remained positive and “spread joy throughout her battle with cancer.” One of the founders, Amy, adopted two wonderful kids from Haiti. Espwa, which means “Hope” in Haitian Creole, is a line they have that supports maternity centers in Haiti through Project Medishare. They also feature products that donate proceeds to communities hit by natural disasters and tragic events. So far, The Shop Forward has raised over $5 million in donations since 2014.

Visit The Shop Forward here to check out all the good they do! 

Unbound Coffee Company

For the coffee lovers in your life, definitely check out Unbound Coffee Company. They offer a variety of excellent quality coffee (yes, even pumpkin spice now for those pumpkin spice lovers this fall!), and they also sell super cool (and funny!) apparel like t shirts, sweatshirts, and hats. With every item sold, Unbound Coffee Co. donates $2 to a charity or non-profit of your choice. That’s right… $2 for every item, not just every purchase, and you get to choose who you support. How awesome is that?? I love the company’s message, too. The website states, “Living Unbound is about going through life with no limitations. It’s about not being tied down by negativity. It’s about optimism and spreading love, and helping people who can’t help themselves. There are no limits to how great of a person you can become, how much we can help each other, and how much we spread love and positivity. Join the movement and begin living life Unbound.”

Visit the Unbound Coffee Company here to check out all the cool things they have to offer!

Cuddle + Kind

For the little ones in your life, Cuddle + Kind is a perfect place to shop for any occasion. I’ve mentioned Cuddle + Kind in some of my other posts, as it’s another personal favorite because the lovingly hand knit dolls are just too cute! The company was founded by a family on a mission to give back. With every purchase of a doll, 10 meals are donated to children in need. Over 22 million meals have been donated since 2015. The materials are ethically sourced and the dolls are made by women artisans in Nepal and Peru, which helps provide them a “sustainable, fair trade income.” I love knowing I’m supporting women!

Visit Cuddle + Kind here to view the beautiful selection of dolls and read about their mission!

Bombas Socks

Getting socks as a gift for the holidays… love it or hate it? If you’re wanting to carry on the funny holiday tradition of gifting things like socks and underwear to your loved ones, check out Bombas. When it comes to helping the homeless, people often think to donate things like food and money, which is wonderful. Clothes, especially essential items like socks, underwear, and basic t-shirts are really needed, too. Bombas offers a variety of super comfy and cool things like socks, slipper grippers, tees, and undies. With every item purchased, they donate an essential clothing item to a homeless shelter. Bombas has already donated over 50 million items! 

Visit Bombas here to scroll through their awesome products!

Bookshop

If you’re needing a gift for the book lovers in your life, or if you’re simply wanting a new read to add to your collection, Bookshop is the perfect place for you. We all want to support small businesses, but with the busyness and bad weather that the holiday season brings, sometimes it’s just not convenient to get out to the small shops. Bookshop.org features a big list of local bookstores you can choose to shop from and support! I love knowing I can support my local small shops from the convenience of my phone or computer, while also discovering new local bookstores around me to visit in the future. 

Visit Bookshop here to donate to your local small shop bookstore!

Skylar and Ethique

It’s no secret that things like perfume, candles, lotion, and other feel good/body care items are super common gift ideas during the holidays. Skylar and Ethique are two companies that offer great products for a great cause. Environmentally conscious body care brand Ethique donates 20% of profits to support conservation, wildlife, and animal welfare groups, along with using profits to “adopt” animals… they pay for their adopted animals’ care while they wait for their forever homes. How cool is that? Skylar is a natural ingredient, vegan, eco-friendly fragrance company that sells perfumes of different sizes along with candles. They donate a portion of their profits to Step Up, which is an awesome nonprofit providing support for girls. (Girl power, women supporting women!) 

Visit Skylar here and Ethique here to check out all they have to offer!

Uncommon Goods

For all the impossible-to-shop-for people in your life, or for the ones that just like cool things, Uncommon Goods is a super cool company that sells a variety of unique things that your friends and family will love. You’ll be sure to find the perfect gift for anyone, which will take the guesswork out of your holiday shopping. Uncommon Goods donates $1 to a “Better to Give” partner of your choice at checkout!

Visit Uncommon Goods here to scroll through all of the unique, uncommon goods!

Thrive Market

We all want the best for our families and to support our communities, so I definitely recommend Thrive Market, a one-stop eco-friendly online shop for natural and organic products, from food items and snacks to household cleaning and body care items. With Thrive, you can get a convenient bundle box of all the goodies you need delivered right to your door every month, so it’s great for families (especially those with young kiddos) and for those who have a more difficult time getting out to the grocery store. You can get great products delivered right to your door without paying for those super high delivery fees and tips on the delivery apps. Thrive is on a mission to build the “worlds first climate positive grocery store,” you can check out their mission statement here. The site also offers a one-for-one membership program for their subscription program, so for every Thrive Market membership purchased, the company donates a membership to someone in need or a family in need, like veterans, first responders, and low income families. You can gift someone a membership or a gift card to their site! 

Visit Thrive Market here to view their natural, organic, safe, feel-good products!

United by Blue and Sand Cloud

For the beach lovers in your life, United by Blue and Sand Cloud are two awesome companies to support. Ocean and waterway pollution is one of the most pressing issues in our world today. United by Blue is a company that sells environmentally conscious clothing and accessories and uses profits from purchases to protect ocean life- for every item purchased, they promise to remove one pound of trash and plastic from oceans and waterways. The profits go towards the resources it takes to clean our communities’ bodies of water. They’ve helped clean over 4 millions pounds of trash pollution out of the oceans since they began! Sand Cloud offers a variety of cute and cool beach blankets and towels, and donates 10% of profits towards marine life conservation. You can read about their non-profit partners here.

Visit United by Blue here and Sand Cloud here to see their missions and all they have to offer! 

BarkBox

Last but not least, we can’t forget about the furry friends in our lives! Bark Box is a super cool subscription bundle box that delivers dog toys right to your door. Whether you’re wanting toys for a small puppy or a big chewer, or you need dental care products or food, you can find the perfect things curated especially for them. They even send “themed” bundle boxes, which is fun for everyone! BarkBox is partnered with thousands of rescues and shelters and donates profits from the subscription bundles to their partners. You can learn more about their donation program here.

Check out BarkBox here to select the coolest new toys for your fur babies!

So, are you excited about holiday shopping yet?? I definitely am knowing I can gift some wonderful and awesome things to family and friends this year, while also knowing I’m supporting great causes with these feel-good companies that give back with every purchase.

As always, thanks for reading, and thanks for supporting these businesses!

Lots of love,

Anna